Thread by @TomEvansEcho

LIVE CLUB CRICKET
I’m at Sefton Park, where after a spot of rain, Wallasey are about to begin batting, having won the toss. Delighted to be back doing this after a few weeks of isolation/holidays. No the football season hasn’t started and there isn’t a Test match on.

After a quiet start, Jamie Crawley deposits Huzaifa Zubair through mid-off for two fours. Then he’s bowled off a no-ball. Agonising for Park, who need early wickets. 11/0 from 3 overs.

Bit of #mizzle around

Danny Beaver, batting well out of his crease to nullify any movement, collars Zubair through point. The ball bounces up into the benches and a dog nearly gets it. Drama. 28/0 from 5.

The mizzle has been upgraded to drizzle. Think they’ll be coming off soon. Batters have been equal to everything except that no-ball so far. 40/0 from 8.

They haven’t come off yet. Crawley top-edges a pull off Ayan Madhu which just evades Raheem Kasser, then NAILS one for six which comes agonisingly close to seriously hurting that dog I mentioned earlier. 51/0 from 10 overs. Umpires talking about the rain.

The dog is fine but the ball bounced about a yard from where it’s sitting while its owner went to the bar, and fizzed inches from its hindquarters. Raining quite hard now.

And off they come. 51/0 off 11.

We’re back on, sooner than expected… Sefton skipper Jimmy Dixon having a bowl from the Smithdown Road end.

Protective off-side ring for Beaver, who seems to favour that side. 56/0 from 12.

Now Crawley hits another six which nearly hits my car. And another which is dropped by one of my fellow spectators. Very powerful stuff, making the most of his early reprieve. 68/0 from 13.

Spin o’clock as Raheem Kasser has a go from the Park end. Tossing it up, inviting Crawley, who’s on 42 and looking good, to have a go.

Adam Taylor is SURE he’s stumped Crawley, who celebrates what looks from here like a tight reprieve by driving four through the covers. 73/0 from 15 (that’s 90 balls, Hundred fans).

Also making the most of a narrow reprieve is the dog, who is cavorting around chewing a variety of plastic bottles.

The stumping was off a no-ball, which is a relief as I can now say he was definitely out of his ground without upsetting the umpire. That’s twice Crawley has been out off no-balls now.

No such look this time though, he has a massive hoick at one from Kasser and is bowled for 47. He’ll be disappointed not to have gone on. 82/1.

Chris Davies survives two big appeals off his first two balls - one for LBW, one for a catch.

The wicket has slowed things down a lot. Kasser finding his groove, Davies in particular doesn’t look comfortable. The mizzle is back; someone is blasting Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow from somewhere in the park. 84/1 in the 21st.

Davies so uncomfortable in fact, he chops on. Sefton’s 100th point of the season is in the bag. 84/2, skipper Alex Eagles saunters out.

Safe to say Kasser has changed this game - now he turns one past Beaver’s lunge, and Taylor completes the stumping. 85/3 in the 23rd over.

And another! Greg Beaver hits a four, then inside edges one and is caught by Rob Supria. Four for Kasser now; Sumit Ruikar has a job to do. 89/4 from 23 overs.

The Indian pro edges his first ball through the slips. Dixon keeping it tight at one end, Kasser making it talk from the other. Good stuff from Sefton; they’ve had spells like this on a lot of games. Need to keep it up. 92/4 from 25. Drinks.

Kasser spills a very tough return chance off Ruikar; probably saved a four. Assuming Wallasey are targeting 220 inside 55 overs, they have some work to do still. Eagles and Ruikar playing themselves in; presumably the acceleration will follow. 99/4 from 28.

A few more shots coming now; Ruikar lofts Dixon over mid-on, Eagles carves Kasser through cover. More rain about. 111/4 from 32.

More risks being taken now; Eagles is spilled by a sprawling, juggling mid-on. Rain seems to have stopped. 137/4 from 35. 83 in 20 overs for maximum batting points for Wallasey.

Another lofted drive for four by Ruikar followed by a glorious flick over backward square leg. 146/4.

These two now going along very nicely. Both into the 30s; the score is 174/4 in the 39th over. All going to plan again for Wallasey.

Stung by my “all going to plan” remark, Eagles bottom-edges Kasser into his stumps. That’s five wickets for the leggie, ploughing a lone furrow… Wallasey 179/5. Andrew Ward next in.

Kemar Smith replacing Dixon.

Ward isn’t hanging around. Successive sixes off Kasser, one straight and one over mid-wicket. 201/5.

Chucking it down to be honest but it’s almost yea. Ruikar creams smith into the sightscreen to bring up his 50, then smacks four wide of mid-on. That’s tea with the score on 219/5. Wallasey want to stay out to score one more run. But they can’t.

Turns out the score was actually 220… and Wallasey declared at tea, five points in the bag. Sefton 7/1 after Richie Conlan edged Harry Meehan behind.

Ben Percival and Rob Supria trying to find the gaps; as I type, Supria clips Meehan through mid-wicket. The ball is getting wet and towels are at a premium. 15/1 from 6 overs.

Plenty of company for Percival as Ruikar bowls; he’s getting a lot of bounce, too much in fact for an LBW shout. Still 15/1 - “he can’t sit on you forever” chirps a fielder. Supria clips Meehan for another four.

Meant to post this with the last tweet

Percival and Supria are putting in the hard yards here, getting well forward to Ruikar and playing very watchfully. 27/1 from 10 overs.

Supria belts Ruikar over his head for six. Still the close fielders crouch. He’s tempted into another - and it lands just short of mid-off. 33/1.

Chris Bourne replaces Meehan with some nibbly seam. It seems quite a good day for nibbly seam.

Ruikar takes a fine return catch as Supria - who’d just got away with a spoon into the off side - chances his arm one too many times. The Comp’s leading wicket taker is off the mark, Kemar Smith comes to the crease. 35/2.

And another - Jack Leckey pulls off a fantastic leg-side stumping off Bourne to remove Percival. 35/3.

Two excellent bits of fielding have turned a promising start into a precipice.

“I’ve been looking forward to this battle,” shouts Alex Eagles as Ruikar bowls to Smith. Local cricket geekery as sledging, you love to hear it. Left-handed Huzaifa Zubair is the new man.

Zubair defends one from Ruikar that rolls back on to his stumps but doesn’t dislodge a bail. Wallasey docked points because none of their fielders ostentatiously lifted the bails to “check” they’re not glued on. 41/3.

The battle is over but Eagles won’t mind. Smith’s patience deserts him and he skews one from Ruikar to backward point. 45/4.

Now Bourne traps Adam Taylor. 50/5. When the tail is exposed to Ruikar, it tends not to last long.

The left-handed Zubair seems able to resist Ruikar’s wiles a little better; he gets a big stride in and covers the bounce. A big shout for caught behind from one that drifted away, but otherwise solid. Mark Chappell carves Bourne nicely for four. 60/5.

So Ruikar pulls his length back a bit, and one spits at Zubair’s glove, and short leg plunges forward and hangs on. Excellent cricket. 60/6. Scott Aitchison to the crease.

Bourne is exerting his supremacy from the other end - he trims Chappell’s bails. 60/7 as Ayan Madhu comes to the crease. Eagles does a lot of clapping and shouting.

Now a run-out. Eagles’ pick-up and throw from mid off beats Aitchison on what looks like it should have been a comfortable single. 61/8. Jimmy Dixon to the crease.

But not for long - Ruikar finds his edge, first slip holds a low catch. This has been an outstanding all-round performance in the field.

Fielders are still hurling themselves into the boundary rope to save runs, even though the game is almost up. Madhu is playing some shots, and belts Bourne for a straight four.

And that’s that - Bourne finds Madhu’s edge, Leckey takes the catch and Wallasey have won by 151 runs. Excellent in the field, Bourne and Ruikar with the ball in particular.

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